Signal Control Panel Takes Shape

Well I still have not got down to the shed to work on the Sunnybank wiring,  I finally got my Arduino working with some additional output boards via the I2C protocol.  I found a Youtube video that had some sample code.  This video's version of the sample code had an extra parameter on the creation of the i2C board object.  Other versions of sample code did not have this.  So I added it and my board started working.  I have LEDs flashing controlled by a secondary board.  I have had a few more of my online purchases show up, but I’m still waiting for another.  It has been about 3 weeks since I purchased some DPDT switches, but I believe it may not have gotten shipped from China.  However, the seller reached out to me on Saturday. 

I have been working on my signalman’s panel.  I had installed all the track markings with coloured electrical tape.  I changed the colour of the tracks, Blue is narrow gauge, Black is standard gauge and Red is dual gauge.  I have also started installing all the LEDs into the signalman’s board, to replicate the signals from the layout.  I have purchased all the various red, yellow and green LEDs.  However, I was short quite a few white LEDs as the local Jaycar did not have any left.  So on my way to the Train Club yesterday for our Christmas Luncheon, I detoured to a local Jaycar on Gympie Rd.  They had my missing white LEDs.

When I got to the Club, I showed off my control panel.  It had quite a few inquisitive people hanging around the panel, understanding what it will be able to do.  I think I am creating interest for the layout.

I got a text out of the blue on Saturday arvo from an ex-workmate who lives in the next suburb.  He had a sting of cat5 ports that was in excess of his requirements, so I said I’d take it for my control panel interface to the various signals on the future layout.  He brought it around on Saturday evening, so I took him into the shed for a viewing.  I plan on using cat 5 cables from the control panel to each signal on the new layout.  The control panel will break out the wires in the cable to the various ports in the control panel for signalling and infrared detectors, etc.  I was quite surprised by the number of spider webs that have sprung up inside the shed in the last few weeks.  I can feel that they will all be getting a bad headache tomorrow when I give them a blast of spray.

Sunday morning I started installing the switches for the point indicator lights on the control panel.  These are 3PDT switches.  Two of the poles are wired in a crossover fashion, so switching the switch, reverses the polarity of the circuit and thus my Red/Green bi-colour LEDs will switch and the point indicators will toggle, showing which way the track is aligned.  These were all installed and connected to a power supply.  I added a resistor to reduce the voltage going through the LEDs.  They do exactly as I planned when I change the various switches on the control panel.

The Control panel with LEDs installed

This view of the panel has the mainline point indicators lit.  Toggling the switch causes the indicator lights to switch their colours.

I then installed the white LEDs into the track diagram, which will register the location of the trains as they go past a signal.  When they are detected, the white LED will light, and the red signal will light. 

It looks like that tomorrow’s activity will include installing the first few signals into the baseboard for the UP trackage into the control panel and I will use temporary IR detectors to simulate the movement of UP trains on the layout, and give the Arduino signalling code a good test.

Helping Bob and the Division

This week I was very slack and forgot to keep track of my various modelling activities.  On Monday I got an SOS call from Barnacle Bob and installing LED lights into his 1900 Class QR Railmotor.  We had previously worked on a process to build a chassis made from styrene to install his 12mm bogies into.  Bob had drilled out the various headlight and marker light holes in the railmotor shell and needed some help to wire up the LEDs.  We made arrangements to catch up on Friday at his place to check it out.  On Friday I explained parallel and series and we worked together install the two 0402 white LED headlights in series, the two 0402 white markers in series and the two 0402 red LED markers in series but in the reverse configuration to the white markers so only one came on when power was applied.  So these three pairs were wired in parallel.  We then built up the other end’s lights in the same manner and then joined both ends up.  So when the headlights and markers came on at one end, the red markers came on at the other end and the opposite happened when we reversed the polarity to the lighting infrastructure.  I think Bob was happy by the end of the work session.  These still had not been connected to the power pickups by worked off a 9V battery,

Earlier in the week a few of the Tuesday Nighters group were online on Tuesday night and had a good time.  One activity I did do in the shed was find all the items and tools I needed to take to the working bee on Saturday.  The cricket on TV sort of distracted me from a lot of other activities.  That is finished now, so I might have time for more modelling activities next week.

On Saturday I met up with a few other Div 1 workers and we continued to work on the modules for the Div 1 Freemo layout.  So we did some plastering, added scatter, some greenery, and then some fencing.  We also made our own split post fencing from kebab skewers and other 2.5mm pieces of dowel from a $2 shop that we cut up and them split them into individual fence posts.  These were then stained.  I think everyone there was working on the install of these fence posts.  Basically the comments being generated were about people learning new skills in the scenicing of the modules, so this was a great positive outcome.  Late on Saturday night, we again gate crashed the British Regions Brew and Natter.  Gordy forbade us from talking about the cricket.  Well I complied with this edict until I left the chat and posted a comment in the chat.  Hehehehe!

Another week has gone past, and I did not get to go to the shed to work on the Sunnybank Extension and the various track wiring in this area.  Perhaps this coming week.  I did however spend some time trying to get a piece of electronics that I picked up at Bob’s (a different Bob) on the previous Sunday, to work.  I could not get it to talk through its I2C protocol to light LEDs.  So I will have to wait until some more are delivered by mail (hopefully) this week.  The general consensus was that It might have been damaged or had a problem which was why it was lying about at Bob's.  I also have some other pieces of electronics also turning up this week.  These are needed for the new exhibition layout control panel and the layout.

More Layout Planning

Whilst I had plans of wiring up the Sunnybank section of the layout this week, I have not got down to the shed to do anything on that project this last week.  With the various storms and rain events early in the week, I just never got to the shed.  So this has now been pushed back as a task to be completed this coming week.

Tuesday we had a great turn out at Glen’s place for our Tuesday Nighter’s get together.  We watched his favourite 81 class locos circulating around the layout, as well as an 8 car electric.  We then adjourned to Glen’s front veranda and sat in the cool night air and watched the mandatory storm coming from the west get closer and closer.  We all hit the road as it came closer and I got home just before the storm hit.  However while I was there I was talking to Bob about Arduinos and adding additional addressable ports for my signalling.  He had a device that added 16 ports to an Arduino.  So I asked Bob to send me some sample code that allows us to access those extra ports.  I looked at using this instead of using 3 Arduino Megas for my signalling with the three Arduinos all locked together for inputs from the control panel and the layout.  When the sample code came through I did not understand everything in it.  Maybe I need to go back to introduction to programming, or my throw my newly finished IT graduate son at it.  He might get it more than me.  However with a few texts back and forth with Bob, we arranged to meet up at his place on Sunday and now I have a whole new understanding of how this will work.  Bob loaned me one of these extension boards and I will spend some time next week trying to get it to work with my Arduino Mega.  If I can get one or two LEDs working, that will be it, and I will order 5 more boards, and replace the one that Bob loaned me, and continue connecting up 3 of these devices to my Arduino Mega.  This will also work out a cheaper solution.

While the boss was out on Wednesday I unrolled the paper track plan for my future exhibition layout.  It went down the hall and I worked on throwing lengths of flex track, and various points that I already had in my kit bag onto the paper schematic to see how it looked.  I adjusted the locations of some of the trackage by an inch or two here and there, in order to make it look like it was flowing and everything fitted in.  I have worked out where the baseboard joints should be.  At this stage I have 3 x 2.4m modules and 1 x 1.2m module for the front of the layout.  I will be designing the next module or two that fits in behind the front modules or Tuesday or Wednesday this week when the boss is out and I won’t get in trouble for having stuff scattered all over the floor, creating a tripping hazard.  This next module is where all the sidings will be incorporated on the layout.

The northern end of the layout, with the dual gauge point and one of the two Tillig narrow gauge/standard gauge crossovers in place.  The green tweezers at the bottom of the photo is the baseboard join.

The next section looking south, with the sidings on the left and the branch on the right.

Going farther south.

This shot is where the sidings have a run around and the two main lines UP and DOWN have no track laid down for them as yet.

On Thursday I reserved an amount of 12mm track for today’s Buy and Sell.  I also arranged for a 12mm turntable for PK at the same time.  I went to the rooftop drinks on Friday and then to Shephen’s retirement drinks.  I think we will be convincing him to join our rooftop group next year.

Saturday was another full on train day.  I had to drop some fence posts off at Geoff’s work before he went home, and then went to an Operating Session at Anthony’s place.  This was a great time, as usual.  His staff machines really blow me away.  The layout runs well.  paperwork is excellent and the attendees are fun too, even if they go down the wrong tracks hey Iain?  However, some of the shunting required really tests your grey matter.

A nice fuel unloading facility.

A new stock race in place.

The train in track 2 was my first train of the day.  The motive power has already been removed and is heading to Loco.

My next train is leaving from the dock.

The combined staging on the layout.

My train awaits this train getting to the main station and clearing the section.

These magnificent staff machines now control access to the various sections of track on the layout.

Staging looking the other way.

The second last train of the day.

Garry has the last train of the day.

Today I went to the Buy and Sell and picked up 25 sets of 12mm points, and 8 sets of 16.5mm points.  I also scored 84 insulated joiners and a dozen lengths of 12mm flex track.  The cupboard continues to be stocked for the day when I hit the go button on the layout.

Sunnybank Progress Resumes

I think it was Monday this week that I went to the local hobby shop.  I picked up two Tillig crossovers (standard to narrow gauge) as I thought if I don’t buy them now they will be dearer when I do get around to buying them.  I was also looking at picking up some narrow gauge cross overs that I need for my storage yard out the back of the layout.  There were none in the shop on the racks.  But while walking around the shop, on top of a cabinet I found two 12mm crossovers.  No doubt someone was going to buy them and then saw some TT gauge track and bought them instead and left the Peco 12mm crossings on the cabinet.  So I bought them as well.  So my boarding of items for the future exhibition layout has begun. 

On Tuesday evening we all got online with the Tuesday Nighters and I showed off some historical photos from my future layout location.  I think I had everyone’s interest.  It was amazing that some photos showed that there were three standard gauge locos in the sidings, and there were plenty of narrow gauge locos on both Up and Down tracks, running wrong road and also in the sidings and on the branch as well.  I think this layout is going to turn heads.  Well, isn’t every layout owner hoping to do that with their exhibition layout?  I just need approval from the financial controller.  I might have to sell my left one in order to gain approval.

On late Wednesday morning I drove to PK’s and picked up his dual gauge Fast Track jigs.  I also picked up four lengths of code 75 rail.  Upon return home after 1:00pm and then having some lunch, I got stuck into building a set of dual gauge points.  By the late afternoon, I had completed the first dual gauge set of points for the standard gauge tracks to branch from the dual gauge to the sidings.  Initial testing has everything working well.  I plan on visiting PK again to return the jigs, but also use his silver solder on my point’s actuation bar, so it is currently unsoldered on this dual gauge point.  On Wednesday evening I cut up the PC board sleepers and some lengths of rail, so that on Thursday morning I could build another set of points, well actually it was a splitter piece of track where the two gauges, standard and narrow, will merge for a siding under a gantry crane.  This also turned out pretty good.  Initial testing has it working well.  It has no moving point blades.

My intention is to actually have a travelling crane on the future exhibition layout location that will move up and down the siding.  I was thinking that I need to build myself some 12mm catch points, one for the siding, and one for the branch line, given that these are not commercially available.  So I built these either side of dinner.  I then half built two 16.5mm (HO) catch points, but I ran out of code 75 rail.  I had a scout around the shed as I thought I had a length somewhere.   I found some small off cut lengths of Peco 12mm track, that I used to finish the build of the 16.5mm catch points.  One of the pieces of rail that I found, was weathered rail.  Boy, did that cause me some issues with soldering it to my PC board sleepers.  So I removed the weathered rail and replaced it with another length of unweathered code 75 rail.  I was quite happy again with how these four pieces of track turned out.  The collection of track for the new layouts continues to accrue.

The dual gauge point to go into the dual gauge with a standard gauge exit into the sidings.

In the sidings, the narrow and standard gauge lines come together under a couple of gantry cranes.

The various catch points, the two narrow gauge ones on the left and the two standard gauge ones on the right.

Eventually I will need to schedule another trip over to the other side of the world to get about four more lengths of code 75 rail from PK.  These will be put aside for the rails needed for the travelling crane or should I say travelling cranes, to run on as there are actually two on that track in the prototype’s yard.

I did some stocktaking of track components and worked out what types and how many I need of the various sets of points in 16.5mm and 12mm gauges.  I hope to get my first drawdown from the boss and go looking for points and narrow gauge track at next Sunday’s Buy and Sell in Brisbane.

Today really early, my son’s mates all rocked up at 6:35am, before they took off on a road trip to Canberra and then Melbourne and back over the next week.  But it was revealed to them by another of my son’s mates that I had a Shed in the back yard full of trains and they all want to view the layout before they hit the road.  They were enlightened and slightly overawed, I think.  But they needed to not spend too much time there as they needed to hit the road in their convoy travelling south in order to get to Canberra tonight. 

Just before lunch today I finally bit the bullet and continued on working on the supports for the trackwork from Rocklea Siding to Sunnybank Station.  I installed about 5 supports and joined all the 12mm track up.  So things are progressing.  I will be looking at installing power to this section of track in the coming week and I hope to have trains operating under their own power before next weekend.

The extension of the narrow gauge line from Rocklea Sidings heading to the left to go around large semi-circle before coming into Sunnybank Station in the foreground where the unpainted QR wagon is.

The line to Sunnybank but a bit further to the left.  The large semi-circle starts under the shelf.

A view from the doorway, showing the Sunnybank mainline heading back towards Rocklea Sidings.  below is Acacia Ridge Yard.

Thinking About Signalling

Monday was the day that started to go down a bit of a rabbit hole.  I started thinking about the signalling system for my future exhibition layout.  I will have working signals that run either automatically as a train runs around the layout or with the help of a signalman who can set up cross track moves etc., into the sidings, or onto the branch.  I have drawn up a track schematic.  I started with the code for one of the tracks – the UP Line.  But overnight I had a think.  On Tuesday I changed my whole logic process and by the afternoon I had a working model running on my Arduino for the UP and DOWN tracks. 

On Wednesday I added the signals coming out of the siding and started on the tracks for the dual gauge branch line.  Also on Wednesday a new Arduino Mega arrived in the post after I purchased it on last Sunday night.  I think I will have one of these controlling each of the tracks, UP, DOWN and Dual Gauge, with the same code running in each Arduino just so I can control all the signals and the various inputs from the track sensors, detecting trains and points and also from the switches on the signalman’s control panel.  I will work to develop this over the next few months.  I will also use CAT5 cables to go from the signalman’s panel to each of the signals.  Each signal location will have at least 2 aspects, mostly 3, as well as an infrared track detector to detect passing trains.  Some shunting moves and branch line moves will also have call on signals, or junction indicators.  So this will be really cool if I can get it to work, and it will also mimic all signals on the signalman’s panel.  So the public can sit behind him and watch it all unfold, or even if the layout is automatic mode, the signals on this panel will also change as trains move through the various tracks.  I am also thinking if I need a communications mechanism from the signalman to the train drivers.  Do we just call out, use walkie talkies, use a headset system like I do at home, or use Zello on the mobile phone.  I will discuss this with my future crew.  The layout may still be two years off building, but it will have quite a lot of features that rarely exist on layouts on the exhibition layout scene.

I continued work on the Dual Gauge track signal code on Thursday and this is complete except for the signalling into the Sidings across all the narrow gauge tracks.  That is quite complex, but not too difficult.  I just need to find time and this will most likely be early next week.  My next task is to build a small mock-up of the signalman’s panel and have the track detectors simulated by hand and see the control panel show the signal aspects.  I need to buy a few red, yellow and green LEDs to replicate the signal aspects on my signalman’s panel for this to happen.  I also need to do a couple of tests.

On Tuesday we went to Cliff’s place for our Tuesday Nighter’s meeting and ran into Ian Phermister from Coffs Harbour way, who happened to be up on the Gold Coast with his family having a holiday.  It was good catching up.  At this meeting I also spoke to Brendan, our solderer extraordinaire, who gave me confidence to work on my PROCAB-R radio board upgrade.  I had an old POWERCAB throttle which I was to install a radio board into – removed from a CAB04.  But the POWERCAB did not have a 9-pin JST plug on its motherboard.  So I had to solder the 9 wires from a connection to the 9 little tabs on the motherboard.  Well this initially worked, but I needed some battery terminals to be installed into the POWERCAB case to make it all come together.  I picked up some terminals from Marcus when in Sydney at the Rosehill Exhibition, and also picked up a 9-pin JST socket to go into a future PROCAB throttle if I ever get another one.  But as I was installing the battery components, the wires ripped off from my soldering on the motherboard.  Brendan told me to clean that up and install the 9 pin JST socket.  Well I gave it a go on Wednesday, and to my amazement, after testing the POWERCAB, after removing my soldering, and after soldering in the JST-socket, and after installing the batteries in the compartment, it all worked, as both a normal POWERCAB, or as a radio PROCAB-R.  I amazed myself.

Also on Wednesday I decided to actually code up the various configurations in the chip for my 2000 class railmotor passenger car.  I set up the headlight to dim on F4.  Also moved the rear headlight which was connected to the rear red marker lights to be on F3 instead of F0R.  I also set up the front white marker lights F1, and front red marker lights and the rear marker lights F3 to all be dimmed on F8.  I gave it a test and was very happy, although the front headlights are way too bright.

I had a phone call from Barnacle Bob during the week and went over to his place on Thursday to assist with building a chassis for his 3D printed 1900 Class QR Railmotor.  He has some Halling bogies to use.  Bob was worried with his brass baseplate shorting out his Halling bogies as the railmotor travels along the track.  I brought along some 2mm styrene and showed him one possible method of building a baseplate that fits inside the railmotor shell and the bogies are attached to the baseplate with some bogie clips made from styrene.  So in under an hour we had the baseplate built, the bogies attached, and the railmotor running up and down a short piece of track powered by a 9V battery placed across the rails.  So that was version 1 of the baseplate.  All it needs is a couple of pieces of lead above the power bogie.  I’m sure Bob will refine this initial baseplate and bogie clips for the bogie mechanism and build his version 2.  It will be very nice indeed once the model is painted up and running on Mosquito Creek.

Friday’s job was to complete 2000 Class luggage compartment railcar with the installation of all its lights.  The headlight and front white and red marker lights were pretty simple, but I cannot get the rear marker lights to light.  I must have a dry solder joint somewhere or I installed one of the red marker light LEDs back to front.  I will revisit on Monday next week.  The plan was to take the two railmotor models to the Show and Tell section at our NMRA meeting on Saturday of which I did.

Mostly Railmotor Related

On Monday afternoon, I went to my local DULUX paint place and spoke to Geoff about spray cans of Silver paint for my Far North Models QR 2000 Class railmotors.  I picked up a can of recommended paint.  When I got home, I sprayed the railmotor shells with some testers white primer.  That was to seal the shells before I hit them with the silver paint.  I gave them two coats on the outside and them focused another coat on the inside of the shells just to be sure.  I let it dry overnight.

Baggage car version sprayed undercoat.

The other side.

The driver's side again.

The other side.

The passenger version head on.

The non driver's side.

The driver's side of the passenger version.

The paint I used to paint the railmotors Silver.

PK also emailed advising that our shared delivery of the CCH prairie wagons from CGL had arrived.  I told PK that I will collect mine on Friday when we go for a trip around the QR Brisbane network for $0.50.

So on Tuesday I hit both the shells with the silver paint.  I let them dry and had a bit of a viewing a couple of hours later.  I thought I might have been a bit light with the silver paint along the bottom of the shells, so I gave them both another light spray in that area and then put them to bed overnight to dry.

On Wednesday morning the job was to install all the LEDs required for the QR 2000 Class passenger car railcar.  That went along quite easily until at one point when testing an LED, when I applied a 9V battery to an LED (instead of my 2 x AA – 3V battery) and it went POP.  Bugger.  I was then one LED short for the guard's luggage railcar.  But PK came to the rescue as he lent me one, while I placed an order for another 30 white 0402 LEDs.  So once all the LEDs were installed, the wires connected to the decoder and the railmotor assembled, the railmotor was placed on the track and the lights were tested.  They worked great.  Maybe some are slightly a bit bright, but I can fix that later. 

Thursday was the day to install the LEDs into the Guards Baggage railcar.  Well all but one light to a marker light.  I took my 3 railmotors to the Club on Saturday to show off.  I showed them on the club layout, but just ran them on the Powercab test track.  The common comment was that the marker lights were too bright.  I will try replacing the 4.7K ohm resistor with an 8.2K resistor to reduce the light intensity on Monday or Tuesday this week.  While at the Club, Guy showed off his almost completed 3D print of a 2000 Class railmotor.  He also advised that the 2050 class railmotor was ready to print.  So early next year we will get his version.  There are a few of us lined up to get them and put them on the track.  They come with two different types of bogie mounts.  One for my Halling 12mm bogies from Austria, and another for some locally made bogies.  I still like my version from Austria, but they are not cheap, but postage is better when you make a bulk order.  I think I will need to place an order for another 12 pairs of power bogies and 12 pairs of dummy bogies before Christmas, so we are all ready for the new year when these railmotors are released.

The baggage car version of the 2000 Class railmotor above its power chassis.  The LED lights will be installed on Monday or Tuesday this week.

The now available 3 car set.

I met up with PK on Friday, picked up my CCH wagons and the LED.  We also arrange to meet Arthur and Kevin at Roma Street Station and we caught a train to Doomben followed by a walk to a nearby Bowls Club.  Coffee and Caramel Slice for $7.50 was great.  We jumped back on the train and we went to Bowen Hills.  There we were sent into platform 3 – instead of platform 1, no doubt due to a points failure.  But our Ferny Grove train was sitting on platform 2.  As we had to ascended the stairs walk across the walkway and back down to the other platform.  As we were doing this, the train whistled out.  Bugger.  We had to wait for another 15 minutes!  I think Sparkles planned that.  We had lunch at the Ferny Grove Tavern and got free coffee and cake with the meal.  Boy were we full!  Back to the station, caught the train to Bowen Hills where PK alighted and the south siders continued to Sunnybank, where Authur left, I left at Altandi and Kevin got off at Kuraby.  All this for a total of $1.00 travel cost.  My bus was just 7 minutes away and I was still full at dinner time.  A great day.

Our train is due soon at Roma Street platform 6.

Our train departing Doomben as we enter the Bowls Club

Our Complimentary cake and coffee after lunch

On Sunday we had the Club Buy and Sell and I walked away with over $120 in sales.  I may have purchased some items and also paid $20 for my usual table location.  The weather held off, but buyers seemed to be down a bit.  But there were plenty of bargains available.

Other activity next week, is the track from Rocklea Sidings to Sunnybank will get supports underneath it.  I might even have trains running before next Sunday.

Focus Now Switches to my QR 2000 Class Railmotors

So this week was supposed to be a slow week to recover from the last 4 days in Sydney at the Great Train Show at Rosehill.  Monday started with me getting out my WNI-32 module from WifiTrax and installing that in an NCE Procab.  So when assembled, the Procab becomes a wifi enabled device and it will work on any wifi connection.  The process to enrol onto a wifi network can be a bit laborious if there is a password set, unless the owner allows the WPS button to be pressed and it will happily join.

Tuesday's job was to get out my Far North Hobbies 2000 class railmotor set that was obtained down in Sydney at the second hand stall.  I made two baseplates to affix the wheels to.  They seem to run quite well.  I took one model over to Bob’s place on Tuesday night for our fortnightly get together, as he has a set of these railcars running on his layout.  We placed my railmotor next to his 2000 class set and my car was sitting about 1mm too high compared to his.  I thought it still needed to be lowered by at least another 1-2mm.  So on Wednesday I remade the chassis base plate and I think they were lowered by a couple of millimeters.  The railmotor was sent to the DC test track and the railmotor was just skidding on top of the rails.  So it needed a bit of weight added above the bogie.

On Thursday I added a slice of lead above the motor bogie and it ran smoothly with no more slipping.  The next task was to fit a decoder and wire up the second bogie to the decoder, bring the motor bogie pickup wires to the decoder and then run wires to the motor.  I then took it back to the DC test track and it ran very smoothly.  So the switch was set and it was put on the DCC test track.  It was given a long DCC address of 2004 as it is a passenger car version of the railmotor and I was very happy with its running on the layout.

However, upon checking this model against the QR plan, the model is too long, too high, too wide and just looks obese.  I was hoping that this two-car set was going to absolve my need from buying two 2-car sets of 2000 class railmotors from Guy at the Club, when he finally releases his models.  I have been patiently waiting for about 12 months, but I think progress is being made on his models.  I think I will need to still buy two 2-car sets off of Guy just so that my scratch built intermediate 2050 class car will be the same size as the end cars.  Guy’s cars are perfectly re-created in scale, unlike the Far North Models sets that are at least 5% too big in all dimensions. 

Late on Thursday I started cleaning off the flash from the bogie sideframes from the Far North Models kit.  I also started measuring the base frame for the second railmotor (the one with the luggage compartment). 

On Friday I cut up the base frame and spliced in the bogie support frames.  I then added a stiffening beam to the base frame.  I also got out the lead weight again and added that to the chassis frame, followed by the installation of holes for the wires to come up from the bogies up to the decoder.  I took the second railmotor to the shed and gave it a test run.  I was again pretty pleased with how it ran on DC. 

Saturday morning’s job was to install the decoder in the second railmotor and wire the bogies into the decoder.  Once that was done, I then tested the baggage car version of the QR 2000 class railmotor on the test track on DC again, and then switched to DCC mode.  I gave it an address of 2005 and gave it a run on the test track on DCC.  Very Happy indeed! 

Saturday evening I joined the British NMRA Region’s Brew and Natter online gathering.  There were 4 Queenslanders online there along with about 20 from the UK and Europe.  That was an enjoyable 2 hours of photos showing of layouts tours and discussion.

On Sunday morning I then put the two railmotors back to back, consisted them, and ran them around Acacia Ridge Yard, before I realised that I had equipment in the way towards Clapham Yard.  I still had not supported the trackage from Sunnybank to Rocklea Siding.  I'll get back to that next week.  So I relocated the railmotors to South Brisbane in a siding, then I realised that the sidings were not powered.  So I wired up the two sidings at South Brisbane with some wire jumpers.  But I did run the railmotors from the platform at South Brisbane to Park Road, until I found another dead piece of track.  I think I need to fix up a rail joiner.  Another job for this week.  So I ran the train back to South Brisbane Station where the set now rests.  I then replaced the KD on one railmotor as the jaws are not working.  I also need sound now to be added to the railmotors, but no one had a sound file and I can’t afford sound decoders for these railcars! 

The section from Sunnybank Station back towards Rocklea Siding.  A guard rail has been added outside the track.

Look from above Sunnybank Station back towards the shed door.

Underneath the Sunnybank raised section is Acacia Ridge Yard.

The entry into South Brisbane Station, where the jumpers were installed.

A shot back towards the stop blocks at South Brisbane.

The Baggage Car version of the railmotor sitting in one of the sidings at South Brisbane.  Its twin is inside the house ready to get the start of headlights and marker lights.

I also need to install the lights inside the railmotor shells with connections back to the decoders.  I have pulled out 2 white LEDs for the headlights in one railcar, and 2 red LEDs for the front marker lights.  That is next weeks job.  I will also call in to Geoff and check out the paint options for these railmotors early this week as well.  I will hopefully have them painted before next Saturday which is Club meeting day.

Activating WIFI in an NCE PROCAB Throttle

On Monday morning I opened up my WNI-32 package I purchased from Model Railway Craftsman at the Great Train Show at Rosehill on last Saturday morning.

I pulled all the items out of the plastic bag.  I had a scan through the instructions, and they seemed pretty straight forward.  I got my Procab throttle from the shed, and unscrewed the various screws on the back of the throttle.  I also took off the lid from the battery compartment.  I added the two battery clips with wire to the bottom of the battery case in my NCE Procab throttle.  Next, I added the double battery clip to the top of the battery compartment.  I scratched my head a bit about the plug that the two battery wires went into.  I read the instructions again and found out that the clip was to have a small screw driver inserted and the wires went into the other half.  I did that and gave the wires a small tug and they were firmly seated.  I drilled a hole in the top of the back of the Procab just were the LED was to go through.  I used the double sided tape to seat the WifiTrax module to the back of the Procab case.  I added the 9 pin cable between the wifi module and the Procab mother board in the throttle.  Now for the test.  I pushed the Emergency Stop (Red) Button on the throttle, and to my sheer amazement, the throttle sprung into life.    I am not calling it my PROCAB-W throttle.  The w for wifi.  So I then turned the throttle off.

I then went to the shed, turned on the layout power at the wall to energise the NCE 5 Amp system and the cab bus.  I turned on the layout master (Knife) switch, and plugged my Procab throttle into the cab bus.  I addressed a loco on the track in Grafton Yard and the lights came on.  So that was good.  When I power up my NCE system, it also powers up my layout WFD-30 wifi system.  I unplugged the NCE throttle, and then hit the Emergency Stop Button on the throttle.  It sprung into life, detected my Wifitrax WFD-30 card and my PROCAB-W was live on wifi.  Whoo Hoo!  I dialed up the loco I just addressed in Grafton Yard and the loco was in 128 speed step mode.  So I hit the 28/128 button and it was back in my normal 28 speed step mode and I was driving the loco and turning on/off functions.

It could not be simpler.  I can now take my Procab to anyone’s layout that has wifi and control a loco if they have a WifiTrax Module.  I then found the manual and read it the section that allows me to join my throttle to a home network.  So I did the reading and tried to turn on my shed network – which it found, and then I struggled to enter the wifi password.  To make things simple I just pressed the WPS button on my modem, and the throttle connected to the shed wifi network.  However, once I did this, it seemed to not connect to my WFD-30 directly and always wanted to then connect to my shed wifi network, which was a little difficult when it was not turned on.  Maybe I should read the manual again and work through it slower.

My aim is to have it set up for my PROCAB-W throttle to fire up on either the shed wifi network with its password, or if it cannot see that network, fall back to the WFD-30 network directly.  Maybe that is not possible.  Time and more reading will tell.

I have since taken my WFD-30 to a mate’s place along with my PROCAB-W throttle and showed it off.  He was impressed.  I also took it to the Tuesday Nighters meeting last night and talked about it.  I think at least one person is about to buy their very own WNI-32 to install into their Procab throttle.

WifiTrax WNI-32 module installed inside my NCE Procab.  Now I can use wifi with my NCE PROCAB-W throttle.

Epic Trip to Rosehill

On Monday I continued the creation of the baseboard from Sunnybank towards Rocklea Siding.  I now have it all laid, and am was using ice cream buckets to temporarily lift the baseboards up from the level below.  I also lifted up the storage shelf that I have sitting above Acacia Ridge Yard on the left hand side as you enter the shed.  This was lifted by about 5cm.  I think I need to take it up by another one or two centimetres still.  The track has started to make its way further north from Sunnybank.

On Tuesday I made a pilgrimage to Bunnings and picked up some more steel rod and some threaded rod.  It turned out that the 3’ length of threaded rod cost me $0.50.  The guy at the checkout scratched his head at the price.  I then cut up some rod and installed them around the next 6-8 feet of the Sunnybank deck.  The progress is pleasing.  I also did my flight check-in for the trip to Sydney.

On Wednesday I did a bit more baseboard stabilisation with the threaded rod keeping the baseboard at Sunnybank above Acacia Ridge as I worked back towards Rocklea Siding.

Thursday was the start of a big adventure.  It was a trip to the airport with Darren and Geoff and then meeting up with another 9 people in our group for the beginning of our epic trip to Rosehill.  We made it to Sydney and then met up with someone who flew direct from Toowoomba and someone from Perth.  We then jumped into a car and bus and went to Campbelltown to our first night's accommodation.  We checked in and then made the local trip to see Paul Cassar.  What a nice layout.  Then back to the RSL for dinner. 

Friday was layout tour day.  We had breakfast in Campbelltown then hit the road south.  We visited Paul Barron’s place and watched a couple of trains out from his garage, as well as on his layout.  Then to Steve Pettit’s place and a tour to his layout.  Then lunch at a pub.  Again we hit the road and went to Tim’s place and were blown away.  An amazing layout.  We then hit the road back to North Ryde, checked in and then had dinner at a 2^nd rate Chinese Restaurant up the road from the Motel where they could not speak Engrish and mixed up many an order.

Saturday was the first of the days that really mattered.  Breakfast down the road followed by a trip to Rosehill Racecourse for The Great Train Show put on by the Epping Model Railway Club.  We saw quite a few Queenslanders and had a look at many great exhibits.  I spent some coin and I am now in trouble with the boss.  I caught up with quite a few people from NSW, Canberra and Melbourne, as well as a few banana bender mates.  We went back to the motel, freshened up and then went to Marcus’s place.  We bought some beers on the way and no sooner than we arrived and had a refreshing ale, we had our dozen pizzas arrive.  This was followed by apple tart and ice-cream and then to the train room.  A couple of the guys had not been there before and were running trains.  I sat and discussed a few DCC issues and developments with Marcus, in between him servicing the train drivers.  We finally got home late.

Sunday it was a bit of a rinse and repeat.  Breakfast, Rosehill again, talking to plenty of people, and then buying some more much needed items.  One item that was handed over to me was an item that Rohan picked up at the Secondhand Stall at the exhibition the previous day, of which I was texted a photo of just as the gates opened.  I was awe struck and needed that item.  Rohan purchased it, and finally handed it to me after a bit of a negotiation and a some stirring from him and mates that it was going to someone else's home.  It is a Rails North 2 car 2000 Class railmotor kit set with mechanism.  I have bogies and other detail items to complete the set, so I have given myself 3 weeks to build and complete this kit.  I will bring it to Tuesday Nighters this Tuesday so a few others can check it out.  We also saw Arthur andf Kerrie from up the road, down at the Rosehill Exhibition.  Early afternoon we hit the road to the airport, and returned our hire bus at its home so we could catch a lift back to the airport.  Given that their moves to the airport were in a smaller bus than ours, we had to repack our gear onto the bus and get back on it and go to the airport.  Everyone had a laugh, but good thinking by the hire company staff.  We had 11 in our 12 seater bus.  Our plane left a bit late (12 minutes), but the pilot had his foot down all the way to Brisbane.  We landed 15 minutes early just before the storm hit.  We got off the plane, and the ground crew began unloading our luggage.  But some of the luggage got off, but most of our group's luggage did not, and we had to wait about an hour and half to get it off the baggage carousel as two storms hit and the airport shutdown.  No problem with that, but we could see it outside the luggage doors.  That is wrong.  Given that Geoff was bumped from our flight for a flight two hours later, Darren’s wife came and picked us up from the airport.  But she herself had to wait for the storm to pass over.

What a great weekend.  Thanks to all those who were a part of it.  Plenty to plan for next week, so that will be discussed next weekend.  There may be a mid-week post with actual photos of this last weekend.  But what happens on tour stays on tour.

Sunnybank Gets More Focus

Monday I continued laying some track around the new Sunnybank Station on the expanded 12mm section of the layout.  I have temporary also taken the track to a point at the northernmost end of Acacia Ridge, as the trackage at Sunnybank where all the tracks start to spread out into Sunnybank will be above this same point, on the next level.  This sits on a baseboard about 9 inches above Acacia Ridge Yard.

Tuesday was our scheduled Tuesday Nighters gathering.  The guys were most enthusiastic in urging me to continuing the layout further south to Kuraby.  But they were just taking the piss.  In the shed, they looked at the Sunnybank extension, and then after a while, they all grabbed a brew and we all went to the pergola for ongoing discussions and some biscuits, cake and chips.  We seem to have agreed on a get together for a run to Doomben for morning tea and then Lunch out at Ferny Grove in early November.  We have about 6 yeses so far for our trip on an upcoming Friday.

On Wednesday I decided to do some testing of the ESU Switch Pilot.  I thought there could be a problem with it if there are a number of commands that get sent to it in quick succession.  So I had developed a plan where if I am using pushbuttons connected to an NCE Mini-Panel, and the output includes multiple commands to a switch pilot, I will intersperse a delay command into the stream.  I was going to start off with a quarter of a second, and then work up to 1 second.  However I did a test and it worked out that it didn’t matter if I only sent a single command to a point, the lights all went out on the display board.  But I can change the lights on the display board (also controlled via the ESU Switch Pilot) and they just change correctly.  So I then thought that it could be my power supply when it gets asked to supply power, it fades out.  Given that it has a digital display of the output voltage on it, I watched it when I threw a point and the output voltage did not change.  So I now think the issue is with the ESU Switch Pilot itself.  But I had another idea.  While the Switch Pilot has the ability to set an output up as a PECO point output, there is also an impulse output for other similar point motor outputs.  I changed one of my Peco outputs to the 'impulse type' and tested it and it still dimmed the output lights.  By the way - the point also changed.  I also saw a comment on a bulletin board, that asked had anyone got their switch pilot to work with Peco points!  So that was very deflating, as there was not a conclusive yes answer in that thread.

Friday evening I got online and downloaded the Zello app for my phone.  This was so I could use it on Saturday at a remote Operations Session on Aaron’s layout.  On Saturday I went to a Buy and Sell on the north side of the city and ran into a few Tuesday Nighters, a few Club members, and a few NMRA guys.  The Buy and Sell was very well services by sellers, and also quite a lot of buyers. I did not buy anything, but there wer plenty of bargains.  i was saving my money for next weekend at teh Rosehill Exhibition in Sydney.  

Saturday Night was a great Ops Session.  We had three drivers working from their studies in Brisbane driving trains, a dispatcher from Tasmania, and 4 people in the train room near Newcastle.  The remote drivers were shuttling electric trains around the local area for the local layout inhabitants.  these trains run very well.  The session went for about 3 and a half hours.  Boy, was I knackered by the end.  The remote people were all talking via Discord, if we needed to, as well as over the common train radio channel for the layout provided by Zello.  We also had our access to the mimic diagram that showed were all the trains were.  It also shows live stream video of the various station platforms so we know where to stop and let the local layout inhabitants off and new ones on.

A messy desk with the discord channel on the laptop and the layout mimic panel on the left of the large screen and the guards panel on the right.  

Today I went back down to the shed and hade an executive decision, and decided that I was not going to buy a 2400 x 1200 sheet of 7mm ply for the rest of the layout shelf from Sunnybank to Rocklea Sidings.  I was going to use some 3ply that I already had that was very old, and is rather sturdy.  I think it might have been bracing ply.  I have quite a bit of it left and it will save my about $45 in ply.  This will help me tidy up the shed a little reducing clutter.  So I installed the next section of baseboard, temporarily installed a couple of braces to hold the baseboard up.  I also finished installing the track through platform 2, and the relief line at Sunnybank.  I have also installed the points that diverges the relief line from the mainline before we get to Sunnybank.  I think I will spend some time early this upcoming week and install some more baseboard.  I might even get to Rocklea Sidings by Wednesday.  But I will need to buy some more steel rod from Bunnings to hold up these baseboards.

Working Bee on FreeMo Modules

Monday (Public Holiday) last week was the scheduled working bee for 8 Div 1 guys at the Superintendent’s place with a 9:30am start, to work on the Div 1 FreeMo modules.  I got there about 2 minutes after our scheduled arrival time and almost everyone was already there.  The modules were being removed from their storage in a shipping container to the garage where we were going to do some work.  Legs were attached and the modules stood up. 

First job was to test fit the wooden road over rail trestle bridge and determine if the concrete plinths were the correct height.  Some alterations were made and the bridge fitted quite well.  We then started to Dremel away from plaster around the bitumen (stained balsa) roadway next to the bridge.  This was glued it, weighted down and left to set.

While this was occurring some painting was being down to a second module.  We then did some fence installation on this second module.  This was then handed over to a couple of other members to try their hand at fencing.  Once that was done, I showed the guys how I cover the painted plaster with a covering of sands and coloured dirts.  A short demo turned into the whole side of the module being sceniced with dirts and everyone was impressed and tried their hand at it.

A bit of a farm homestead will be placed to the left of the fence on the left.  Trees and various grasses are still to be added.

After lunch we returned to the bridge module and scattered first around the concrete plinths and did the rest of the module.  Then the fencing contractors were unleased.  While this was occurring the terra-formers and then the plasterers were working on another module.  The plaster was only completed on half the module.

My wooden road bridge in place on the module

A view from a bit further away showing the approach roads each side and the railway boundary with some fencing.

All-in-all a great day, with plenty of work completed, homework tasks for some guys given and plans for next January’s clinic session being formulated.  I think we will have some split post fencing created, and people showed how it gets installed, followed by a tree making clinic, and potentially some 3D printed cross arms with insulators installed on some stained telegraph pole posts for later inclusion on the layout.  We may also be able to squeeze in a session on scratch building a farm shed from styrene and/or maybe wood.

On Wednesday I went to the shed and started planning the entry into Sunnybank Station.  I had one LH curve point, but needed another.  I went to a local hobby shop and saw a Roco curve point, so I picked it up.  Boy is it produce a sharp curve.  I can’t believe people could get away with making things that sharp.  So I have cut some 3mm ply as a template for the next section of baseboard for the curved section from Sunnybank Station towards Rocklea Siding. 

I had other activities on the other days and did not get around to doing anything.  But I did visit the Train Club on Saturday for our monthly meeting.  Traffic there and back via the city was horrendous, so I will probably go via the gateway next time.  There were plenty of people there and people running on all the layouts.  What was lacking was people running on the 12mm on HO layout, as I think the top deck was closed as some track activities were underway.  The clock continues to tick down towards our trip to Sydney to view the Rosehill Exhibition in 2 weeks’ time.

Ops Session Planning and Execution

On Tuesday we went down to visit Marty on the Gold Coast for our Fortnightly get together.  The smart Alek produced his Raspberry Pi powered wifi controller for the new Div 1 FreeMo layout.  The buggers have named the SSID already.  I had a good laugh on Thursday as he told us his huge 65” TV in his train shed had shat itself.  So is that when you could say “It was working yesterday Marty, was it?”  Sue it was!

Very Funny Marty, Not!  But the TV Gods got even with Marty.

During the week I did some work on the portals for the Park Road Good Shed during the week.  Today I completed the sections that join the portals up while watching some football on TV.

I also did some redesign work on track layout for Sunnybank Station and making the baseboard permanently sit above Acacia Ridge Yard.

Friday I continued my clean up and had the dispatcher’s desk was clean.  A few other items were put away.  On Friday afternoon I tested the points and you guessed it the point at Dutton Park on the standard gauge did not work again when thrown for the main line to South Brisbane Interstate Station.  I checked the batteries in the remote for the air conditioner, and I fired it up and it was working.  The tea/coffee was put out on the Saturday morning, and the moo juice placed in the shed fridge.  So at midday on Saturday I fired up the air conditioner again, and it would not fire up/.  I’m not sure if it is the remote or the air conditioner unit itself.  So I fired up 3 fans inside the shed and that was all we had to keep ourselves cool.  I moved some paperwork (the actual session notices) from one spot inside the shed onto the track at Acacia Ridge Yard, and then PK’s train ran straight over them and derailed.  Whoops!

PK had a weird day.  He ran the light engine movement off the northbound Brisbane Limited from South Brisbane Interstate to Loco Pilly.  Later on he ran the light engine trip back from Loco Pilly to South Brisbane Interstate for the southbound Brisbane Limited.  He then got the actual Brisbane Limited and ran it back to Grafton, until I turned off wifi in the shed (forgetting that PK was using a phone (engine driver) to run the train).  The train then had no control.   I had to fire up an NCE ProCAB radio equipped throttle to take over the uncontrolled Brisbane Limited. 

PK practicing some pole dancing in the shed.

I was kept busy during the session, responding to enquiries or fixing issues.  48126 was not running on its scheduled train, it was replaced by 44236 on #20 at South Brisbane track 10.

I had the wrong loco number on a stock train timetable card.  I had 44236 instead of 4894.  44236 could not be in two places at once.

4894 sitting in the Kyogle Stock Siding with its load of beasts.

I also had the wrong loco number on one of the locos on the Brisbane Limited.  The other loco was still having troubles in its runnings, and it had not been cleared from the shops yet.  To make matters worse, the air conditioner in the shed would not start.  But I tested it on Friday and it worked fine.

People using Engine Driver needs to understand that if I have my consists already set up, no need to do consisting on the phone.  What sort of establishment do you think I run here?  If they use their Procab throttle, they just choose one of the two locos and it just runs.  If they decide to use some other (non preferred) method of loco control, they don’t need to set up their own consists.  During the session, there was some unusual trains running.  Somehow, a number of hours before it was supposed to run, the loaded northbound steel train ran from Grafton Yard to Cassino and it sat in the platform road, causing all sorts of issues about 4 hours before it was due to run.  I have no idea who did this.  I think someone took the wrong train.  Because of its location it stopped access from the back platform road out onto the mainline and across over to the yard.  In an effort to alleviate this issue, Kyle backed up over a set of points and did a Marty and derailed the coil wire wagon. 

The end Result of Kyle backing up over the points at Cassino to allow his 620/720 set running a Mountain Goat to get out of the dock platform.

At about the same time, The Guru put his shunt train in the dirt between Cassino and Old Cassino due to a set of points being set to the wrong track. 

Arthur's train in the dirt. Hehehehehe

The derailment has been fixed and off he heads towards Grafton Yard with the branchline shunt.

The next train coming off the branch was the ballast train held up by Arthur's issues.

Geoff sitting in the big chair as North Coast Control.  He did a great job.  He has now got the hours up for getting his Dispatcher AP.

I purchased some 12mm points and flex track on Saturday, to allow completion of Sunnybank Station.  Andrew turned up at my place to drop the track off and he participated in the Op Session.  This morning, I have started laying the track from the far end coming back through the platform.

Today I started fixing issues from the Ops Session.  First was one headset plug-in point was not transmitting, but you were able to listen from it.  The panel was fractured.  This over stressing no doubt caused a wire to come off the push to talk button.  I resoldered that and restrengthened the side of the panel.  I checked out one sleeper wagon from the Brisbane Limited and it had issues going through the points at Acacia Ridge Yard.  I ran it through in both directions and could not replicate the issue.  PK failed another coach on the Brisbane Limited, so I tried to address that.  It has been put back on the train.  I also had to re-arrange the wagons on the oil train, and the Murwillumbah Branchline pick up goods, so they are in the correct order for teh next operations Session.